1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to techniques for correcting an appearance of noise in a video.
2. Description of the Related Art
With recent advancements in digitization of videos, controlling an appearance of noise in digital videos has become an issue. Here, techniques such as that disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-174667, which add noise that resembles film grain, and techniques such as that disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-187260, which add noise to the location of a primary subject in order to improve a sense of sharpness, have been proposed as techniques for controlling the appearance of noise in a video.
When editing videos so as to synthesize videos, stitch videos together, or the like, a plurality of videos shot using different imaging devices, under different shooting conditions, and so on are edited into a single video. However, there are cases where differences in the appearance of noise between videos are evident after the editing, leaving a viewer with a sense of incongruity. Accordingly, it is necessary, when synthesizing videos, stitching videos together, or the like, to coordinate the appearance of noise between the plurality of videos in advance.
However, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-174667 only discloses a technique for adding noise, such as grain noise, universally throughout videos. Accordingly, in order to cause the appearance of noise to match throughout the videos, there are cases where it is necessary to add noise in such an amount that the noise originally contained in the videos does not stand out, and it is also necessary for the editor him/herself to adjust the amount of noise.
Meanwhile, although Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-187260 does implement noise addition in accordance with the videos, the noise addition is based on the location of the primary subject, and thus it is ultimately necessary for the editor him/herself to adjust the amount of noise in order to coordinate the appearance of noise throughout the plurality of videos.